Pipe and tubing trench digger

ABSTRACT

WHEN IT IS DESIREABLE TO BURY CERTAIN PIPE, TUBING OR CABLES WHICH ARE USED OR EMPLOYED BY PUBLIC UTILITIES, IT IS NECESSARY TO DIG A TRENCH TO RECEIVE THESE ELEMENTS. WITH MY PLOW A WIDE DITCH IS NOT REQUIRED BUT, ON THE CONTARY, A RELATIVELY NARROW TRENCH IS DUG TO THE DESIRED DEPTH IN THE GROUND, AND THIS TRENCH OR SLOT IS EASILY RECOVERED WITHOUT THE NEED OF A WIDE OPEN TRENCH.

Feb. 16, 1971 R. o. HANSEN 3,563,045

PIPE AND TUBING TRENCH DTFGHR Filed NOV. .1 1968 FIG.I 7 4 Z3 3 3 a L-WWW I NVENTOR. 055 0. HANSEN United States Patent Office 3,563,045Patented Feb. 16, 1971 3,563,045 PIPE AND TUBING TRENCH DIGGER Robert 0.Hansen, 4549 W. Rosecrans,

Hawthorne, Calif. 90250 Filed Nov. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 772,731 Int. Cl.F161 1/00; E02f /18 U.S. Cl. 61-72.7 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREAn object of my invention is to provide a novel pipe and tubing trenchdigger which employs a relatively narrow blade which is lowered in theground to the desired depth, and is then dragged through the earth bymeans of a tractor or other heavy duty road working machinery.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel trench digger ofthe character stated which employs a rotating cutter or head to assistin moving the trenching blade through the earth, and also assist inpulling the cable, pipe or tubing through the open trench.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a novel trench diggerof the character stated which can be mounted on and operated from a boomon the pulling vehicle, and which can also be transported from place toplace all on the pulling behicle.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from theaccompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and theappended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of my trench digger in operativeposition.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the trenching tool.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, my trench digger 1 ismounted on the boom 2 which extends from the rear of the pullingvehicle, which can be a usual and well known type of tractor or otherroad machinery all of which is well known in the art. The boom 2 extendsa considerable distance from the rear of the pulling vehicle 3,substantially as shown in FIG. 1. The trench digger includes a vibratingmechanism including a motor 4 which may be electrical, pneumatic orhydraulic as desired. This motor is mounted directly in the couplingplatform 5 which is fixedly attached to the boom 2. The motor 4 drivesthe vibrating mechanism 6 through appropriate gears or belt 7, and theplatform or mount 5 is thus given a vertical vibrating motion which isalso usual and well known in the art.

A trenching blade 8 is mounted on the platform 5 by means of a flange 9,or other suitable coupling means. The blade 8 is substantiallytriangular in cross-section and has a relatively sharp leading edge 10which is pulled through the ground to form the trench 11 to the requireddepth. When the platform 5 is vibrated as previously described, theblade 8 will also vibrate and will thus cut through the ground to therequired depth, and also the trench has a width approximately the widthof the base 12 of the blade 8. Thus the trench which is dug by thedigger is relatively narrow and requires little effort to refill afterthe cable, pipe or tubing has been laid.

Since the boom 2 is relatively long, a supporting skid 13 may beemployed at its outer end to help support the boom and the weight of thetrenching device thereon, and this skid is pulled along the surface ofthe ground, as shown in FIG. 1.

To assist the blade 8 in cutting through the earth as it is pulledforwardly in the direction of the arrow 14 I provide a rotating cutter15 which is mounted at the lower end of the blade 8 as follows: Ahousing 16 is fixedly attached to the lower end of the blade 8 in asuitable manner, and this housing contains a motor 17 which may beelectrical, pneumatic or hydraulic as desired. The motor 17 has a driveshaft 18 to which the cutter head 15 is attached. A cleaning blade 19 isalso secured to the shaft 18 and rotates with it for the purpose ofcleaning the bore hole made by the cutter 15. The cutter 15 will form abore hole 20 at the bottom of the trench 11 and the cable, tubing orpipe 21 is attached to the housing 16 by means of the cable 22 or anyother suitable means which has sufilcient tensile strength to pull thepipe or cable through the bore 20.

The motor 17 is supplied with its driving energy through the cable 23which extends along the rear edge of the blade 8 up to the boom 2, andthence to a suitable source of energy. It may also be advantageous tocool and also cleanse the area around the motor 17, and this is providedby the pipe 24 which extends along the rear edge of the blade 8, andthence to a suitable pump which supplies water or air both to thehousing 16 for cooling and cleaning purposes.

-In operation:

A hole is first dug in the ground to the desired depth, after which theboom 2 is lowered with the blade 8 and attached parts thereon into thishole. The pulling vehicle 3 then moves forwardly and the blade 8 willcut a horizontal trench in the ground to the required depth. The motor17 is driven which rotates the cutter head 15 which cuts a bore 20 atthe bottom of the trench 11, which assists in pulling the blade 8forwardly and also provides ample space in which the cable or pipe 21can be laid. The pipe 2 1 is laid continuously as long as the pullingvehicle and the cutting blade and cutter head 15 is moved forwardly. Thepipe or cable is thus laid the required distance without the need ofdigging a reatively wide trench in which a workman may stand. Theworkman never enters the trench but merely feeds the pipe or cable intothe narrow slot or trench 11 and assures that the cable or pipe does notkink or coil.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A pipe and tubing trench digger comprising a boom extending from apulling vehicle, a blade depending from the boom and mounted thereon, acutter head on said blade, means mounted on the blade at the lower endthereof, and a drive shaft extending from said means to the cutter headto drive said cutter head, and attaching means on said blade connectedto the boom, said means to drive the cutter head including a motor, ahousing enclosing the motor, said housing being fixedly mounted on theblade, and said cutter head being mounted in a horizontal position.

2. A pipe and tubing trench digger comprising a boom extending from apulling vehicle, a blade depending from the boom and mounted thereon, acutter head on said blade, means mounted on the blade at the lower endthereof, and a drive shaft extending from said means to the cutter headto drive said cutter head, and attaching means on said blade connectedto the boom, vibrating means on said boom, and said blade being attachedthereto, said means to drive the cutter head including a motor, ahousing enclosing the motor, said housing being fixedly mounted on theblade, said cutter head being mounted in a horizontal position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Gonzales 61-72.1X

Christensen 61-72.1X

Kinnan 6172.6

Ryan 37193X 5 JACOB SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

